Spaulding gymnastics competes at Salem

Wednesday

Feb 5, 2014 at 3:15 AM

FROM STAFF REPORTS

ROCHESTER — The Spaulding High School gymnastics team placed sixth out of eight schools at a recent meet in Salem. Spaulding scored 89.65 points.

“Our line-up has had to evolve a little,” Spaulding coach Rae Ann Chrane said. “We already had one student out due to mono and another with a concussion from another sport. Although we had a student suffer an ankle sprain at this meet the fact that we have beginner students getting skills that allow them to compete has meant we are still doing OK.”

Monica Varona had her best score of the season with a 30.55 in the all-around.

The Red Raiders opened the meet on bars and had their best rotation score of the season in the event 20.40. Spaulding counted scores from Monica Varona (7.0), Laura Halliday (5.0), Katie Menard (4.2) and Katie Barnes (4.2). Spaulding also had bars routines from Mia Bonsell (3.5), Eryn Libby (4.0) and Nekkei Perry (4.0). It was the first time in the bars rotation for Nekkei Perry.

Spaulding competed on beam in its second rotation and counted three clean routines without falls for a team score of 23.00. Varona’s 7.2 was the team’s best score in the event. The Red Raiders also counted routines from Taryn Grant (5.5), Halliday (5.3), Libby (5.0) and Perry (5.0).

Spaulding moved to floor exercise in their third rotation. Varona again led the Red Raiders with a score of 8.35 in the event. Also competing on floor were Libby (6.0), Perry (5.6) and Cassie Morris (5.8).

Spaulding finished the meet on vault. They counted scores from Varona (8.0), who competed her half on half off vault; Barnes, who competed a front handspring for 6.8 and Taryn Grant, who competed a straddle thru for a 5.7.

The state meet is Feb. 15.

“The high school gymnastics season goes by pretty quickly,” Chrane said. “When you start the season it takes a while for the new team members and the returning ones to come together as a unit and we’ve really been seeing that in the last few weeks as the girls help and support each other.”